Food Glorious Food! 13 Ideas for Wedding Food Stations

Food stations, be they dessert tables or snack buffets, have really taken off in wedding catering over the past few years and it's easy to see why! Your wedding day will probably stretch on for 12 to 16 hours and you don't want to hear stomachs rumbling during the speeches! Enter wedding food stations, a delicious trend that's infinitely customisable - you can go fancy with sushi or oysters, or hark back to a simpler time with some nostalgic treats from your childhood. In this post, we wanted to get you started with a few of our all-time favourite weddingfood station ideas!

What You Need to Know About Wedding Food Stations

Before you set your heart on a wedding food station, there are a few things to consider:

whether there is a suitable space for the food station in your venue

whether your food station requires the help of the venue and/or catering staff

whether your food station requires hired staff to man it

how many guests you're inviting

how many stations you're having

set-up and styling

It's important to mention here that all food stations are not created equally! Candy buffets or popcorn stations can be set up the day before (as long as you have access to the space - make sure to check this with your venue), while others, like candy floss or pizza stations will need to be manned by staff for the ease of your guests. Then there are the foods that must be kept refrigerated or frozen, like oysters, sushi and ice cream. If you're having one of these food stations, professional chefs and servers are a must, and timing is crucial - you don't want raw seafood sitting out in the sun for 45 minutes because you miscalculated your wedding timeline!

Wedding Food Stations That You Can Do Yourself

These food stations are super easy to put together because you can prepare them in advance, particularly if you've got access to the venue the day before the wedding. We highly recommend delegating this job to a trusted bridal party member or friend - just do a dress rehearsal at home and take photographs to give your volunteer, along with a list of all the items for your station, so they know exactly what they're doing!

1. Popcorn Station

Popcorn stations are probably the easiest and cheapest stations to set up, so it's no surprise that they're popping up (sorry!) at weddings all around the globe. A perfect little light snack that's easy to eat on the go, popcorn can be served at any time of the day from post-ceremony, to pre-dinner or as a late-night treat after a few dances! This handy post on popcorn stations will get you started.

2. Sweet Bars and Candy Buffets

For sweet bars and candy buffets, you can choose anything from nostalgic childhood favourites to artisan treats like marshmallows, fudge, rock candy or mini meringues. Simply place in pretty vessels and provide handy bags for your guests to fill to their heart's content. Some Irish companies, like Delish Melish in Ireland and SugarSin in the UK, specialise in just this type of treat, while many of our recommended bakers can create meringues and cookies as well as cakes.

Wedding Food Stations That Require A Little Bit of Help

Even if your guests can serve themselves, you'll still need the co-operation of the venue and/or catering staff, as they'll need to store spoilable items like cheese or desserts with fresh cream in their refrigerators, and put them out at the correct time. This shouldn't be a problem, but you'll need to speak to your venue and/or caterer about it well in advance.

3. Grazing Tables

For the couple who love a cheese and charcuterie board, there's the grazing table - a delectable selection of cold meats, cheeses, antipasti, dips, breads, crackers, salads and fruits. Sound good? We have a full post on grazing tables that's spilling over with inspiration, and also features a handy guide to creating one yourself. Don't worry if you don't fancy a DIY - caterers like Posh Nosh and Naomi's Kitchen in Ireland and Grape and Fig in the UK can set up a grazing table for you!

4. Cake, Dessert and Treat Tables

Cake tables work equally well as an alternative to traditional desserts or as an extra sweet treat throughout the day. They work well as a DIY project - maybe your Granny makes the best apple tart on the face of the planet or your pal's lemon bars can't be beat! - but, of course, the most hassle-free option is to leave your baking in the hands of professionals! Have a look at our list of our recommended wedding cake suppliers to see some of the gorgeous creations they can whip up.

5. Donut Walls and Stations

Who doesn't love donuts? These sweet and tasty circles of happiness that are sure to put a smile on every guest's face! You can mix and match flavours, shapes and sizes, or let your guests get creative with delicious glazes or fun sprinkles. If you're not particularly skilled with a bag of flour, look to established donut peddlers like The Rolling Donut or Offbeat Donut Co in Ireland or Krispy Kreme or Doughnut Time in the UK. And head over to this mouthwatering post for ideas on how to style them!

6. Pie Station and Pie Bar

Perfect for autumn and winter weddings, pie bars are a super cute twist on the cake table trend, and the results are just as tasty! You can either serve slices from large pies or have a selection of mini pies or pie pops for guests to eat on the go. It's worth checking if your venue or caterer can heat the pies for you, and prepare custard to serve them with for ultimate cosy vibes!

7. S'mores or Milk and Cookie Bar

An American treat which everyone can get on board with, s'mores are a combination of Graham Crackers (malted milk biscuits to us lot!), melted marshmallows, and your favourite chocolate. The marshmallows are melted over a flame so this is a really fun one if if there's an option of having an outdoor wood fire or BBQ at your wedding. If that sounds like too much faff, we also love the idea of a cookie and milk bar, which works really well as a late-night, sleepytime treat! You could always spike the milk, and create White Russian cocktails to pair with the cookies.

Wedding Food Stations To Leave to the Experts

There are two ways to create these types of food stations - you can either hire a mobile supplier who will take care of everything, or do part of the job yourself and hire a chef or server to man the station during the wedding.

8. Pizza Bars

Pizza doesn't immediately spring to mind when you think of wedding food, but it's fast becoming a popular and affordable choice at rustic celebrations. You can stick with classics like Margherita and pepperoni, design a pizza that reflects each of your personalities, or let your guests build their own! You can either ask a caterer about creating the pizzas for you, or hire a wedding food truck like Dave's Wood-Fired Pizza in Ireland or Woodley's in the UK.

9. Taco and Nacho Stations

Why not give your day a Mexican twist with a mini taco or nacho bar!? This one is perfect for pairing with a margarita for cocktail hour, or as a late-night treat! You'll find a handy tutorial on how to DIY a taco bar here but it does require quite a bit of work, so consider taking this idea to your caterer or hiring a food truck like K Chido in Ireland or The Little Taquero in the UK.

10. Sushi and Asian Food Stations

Sushi is an unconventional choice for wedding food stations, but it'll definitely impress your guests. Hiring a chef to make fresh sushi rolls and nigiri for your guests would be ideal, but, with help from your venue staff, you could create a station with pre-rolled sushi, Vietnamese-style rice paper rolls or noodles in mini takeout boxes. Check out Glorious Sushi and Michie Sushi in Ireland, or Roll With Me or The Sushi Chef in the UK, and don't forget the chopsticks!

11. Oyster Bar

Ireland is home to some of the best seafood in the world, so what better way to treat your guests than with a delicious oyster bar? You can even pair your seafood spread with pints of Guinness for a real taste of Ireland! In Ireland, Wild Atlantic Oysters have a great little oyster station which you can hire for your big day, and companies like Oyster Cart and Mother Shuckers offer similar services in the UK.

12. Ice Cream Bar

A firm favourite with guests young and old, ice cream always goes down well, and if you're blessed with a sunny day in summer, it will probably be the highlight of the whole day! For kitsch factor, hire an ice cream truck like Rockfield or Teddy's in Ireland or Scoff and Sip or Vintage Ice Cream Van Hire in the UK. You could also set up a sundae bar by laying out a selection of toppings and asking your venue or caterer to lay out tubs of your favourite ice cream on the day.

How to Style Your Wedding Food Station

These images will hopefully give you lots of inspiration for styling your food station, but, as always, we have a few more pieces of advice to impart! On-theme containers, signage, cutlery and tableware (if required) will help make the space look festive, and adding height to your food station will create some extra visual impact, so consider getting some cake stands, display stands, cutting boards or trays. If you're hiring a stylist, make sure to chat to them about your ideas too!